Abuja -Gov. Tanko Al-Makura of Nasarawa State has awarded road contract for N800 million to check incessant floods in Kabayi, Mararaba.
Al-Makura told State House correspondents in Abuja on Friday that the rainy season had stalled the job but urged the residents to be patient until the rains subsided.
“I want to limit myself to Mararaba where the flood has gone more than what happened last year.
“I am talking Kabayi; the people in Kabayi are really complaining about the flood and how water has caused so much disruption in their activities.
“But that is understandable because when there was complaint that the road was impassable, because of the neglect of the past, I took it upon myself to award contract to ensure that people living at that axis benefit from good roads.
“I have given a contract of over N800 million to have a road that will connect them with the main artery so that it will reduce the problem of traffic.
“But unfortunately, while the road was going on, the rains had arrived and there was nothing we could do; it is force majeure; we can’t stop the rain from coming because we have project.
“So, the people have to be a little more patient until the rain subsides and then we have a brand new road that we’ll be proud to use.’’
The Nasarawa governor observed that flood had become national issue because of its magnitude.
He, however, said a lot of it had to do with lack of proper conduct by residents.
“Residents use gutters and waterways as dumping grounds for waste and other things and when rains come, such problems become more profound than they were.’’
The governor said the floods, although higher than experienced in 2014, would soon be a thing of the past.
He said the contract was being executed but at a slow pace due to the rain.
“They should be patient with us. We are working to ensure their wellbeing. The moment the rain subsides, work will re-commence,’’ he added.
On the killings which had been reported in some parts of the state, the governor said the security operatives and the communities were working in synergy to stem the incidents.
“Citizens of Nasarawa state are jubilating and are happy that the peace that has been attained through community-based mechanism has yielded result.
“We are enjoying a most unfettered peaceful coexistence, peaceful wellbeing, in the state.’’
Al-Makura said it would be surprising for anybody to speculate that those in his administration were the masterminds of the killings.
He warned that people should “not raise alarm where there is none for anything to do with killings. “We don’t have anything to do with that.
“Indeed, the rate of crimes in the state has really subsided because the security operatives and the residents are working in synergy to ensure that miscreants and bad eggs are far from the environment.’’
The governor described such speculation as “imputing an aspersion that is negative and it is very unkind for anybody to insinuate that there is anything like that.
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“I am telling you with every sense of responsibility that the citizens themselves are enjoying better than before a peaceful environment where they are working in synergy with security operatives’’, he added. (NAN)
